hiring

As the busy spring home improvement season nears, retail chain, The Home Depot, is looking to hire thousands across the country and hundreds in Southwest Florida.

The Home Depot will hire 250 people across its six stores in Manatee and Sarasota counties in the coming weeks before the company’s busiest selling season, when home owners begin to spruce up yards and tackle new improvement projects.

The retailer is recruiting for full and part time seasonal and permanent positions in stores and distribution facilities. Positions range from sales and cashiers to operations and online fulfillment.

“Spring is a great time to join The Home Depot, where you can work alongside a fun, energetic team that’s passionate about the latest home improvement innovations and great customer service,” said Tim Crow, executive vice president with human resources at The Home Depot.

Everyone is encouraged to apply, from college students to veterans to retirees. To apply, click here.

AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Macy’s announced this week that the company plans to hire 86,000 seasonal positions for the upcoming holiday shopping season this year.

Seasonal employees will have the option to work full or part time at Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s department stores, call centers, distribution centers and online fulfillment centers nationwide on a temporary basis. Holiday hiring is up 3.6 percent this year — the retailer hired 83,000 associates in 2013 for the holiday season.

Macy’s will be hiring more than 1,500 employees to man its 12 stores on the west coast of Florida.

“Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s are favorite places to shop throughout the holidays, and we strive to welcome and serve our customers with a consistently high level of care and attention, whether they are shopping in stores, online via desktop or on mobile devices,” said Terry J. Lundgren, Macy’s, Inc. chairman and chief executive officer. “We first offer our current associates the opportunity to work extra hours over the holidays, then supplement our ongoing workforce with seasonal hires. All of our associates enjoy a special experience working in our fast-paced business during this festive time of the year.”
Seasonal workforce has grown significantly in the retailer’s online fulfillment sectors as online shopping continues to become a larger part of how consumers show. This year, Macy’s plans to hire 10,000 workers for its direct-to-consumer fulfillment megacenters around the country.

Looking for a seasonal job? Check out retail reporter Justine Griffin’s tips on how to apply here.

“These seasonal positions represent much-needed jobs for America, and they fill an important niche in the employment spectrum. Especially at the holidays, we employ students working during break to help pay tuition, retirees seeking to remain active and individuals from many walks of life wanting to supplement their income. We are proud to offer them this opportunity to work in a fun, fast-paced and respectful environment,” Lundgren said.

“We have many examples of associates who started with us in temporary seasonal positions and stayed to enjoy a long and fulfilling career with our company. Seasonal employment is often an opportunity to get to know potential future employees and to identify talent that we can recruit as needs arise,” Lundgren said. “The holidays are a magical time of year, and helping customers select gifts from Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s is a special experience that generations of associates have enjoyed and found rewarding.”

Macy’s employs about 172,500 associates on a year-round basis.

Earlier this month, Toys R Us announced it will hire 45,000 seasonal workers nationwide, which includes 2,1000 workers in Florida, and around 450 in the Tampa Bay area.

Photo by Dan Wagner, Herald-Tribune staff

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Children’s retailer, Toys R Us, announced Tuesday that the company plans to hire 45,000 seasonal workers nationwide which will double the Toys R Us workforce.

Toys R Us and several other chain stores hire temporary workers every year to help with the busy holiday shopping season. The seasonal positions include sales associates, stock crew and other part-time and temporary full-time work leading up to Christmas.

The company will hire more than 2,1000 workers in Florida alone, and around 450 in the Tampa Bay area.

“We’re looking for dedicated, customer-centric employees who will strive to help shoppers deliver a great Christmas for the little ones in their lives whenever, wherever and however they choose to shop with us this holiday season. Ensuring we are fully staffed with knowledgeable employees is integral as we look to assist customers in crossing off items on their children’s wish lists,” said said Mark Eberly, vice president of human resources for Toys R Us.

Applicants can apply for positions now and the interview process will begin at the end of September. Temporary hires will begin work in October.

The company is also hiring at its distribution centers nationwide. Hiring began for those positions in July and will continue through November.

Looking for a seasonal job? Check out retail reporter Justine Griffin’s tips on how to apply here.
Last year, Toys R Us opened two pop-up stores in Westfield’s Sarasota Square and Southgate malls for the holiday season. The stores closed at the state of the new year, as did the Babies R Us on South Tamiami Trail not far from Sarasota Square. There is one Toys R Us store located in Bradenton.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Panera Bread will host a job fair next week to fill at least 40 open positions at its new store at University Parkway and Cattlemen Road, which will open in October.

Harmony Food Services, a franchise of Panera Bread, will host its second local job fairFriday Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the new Panera Bread at 215 N. Cattleman Rd. Sarasota, FL.

The company hosted its first job fair in the area in August.

The 4,100-square-foot café and bakery will open across the street from the Mall at University Town Center on Cattlemen Road.

Interested applicants can apply for full and part-time bakery, associate, manager and catering positions. Applicants should come with a resume and references and be prepared for an interview. Panera Bread hopes to hire at least 20 people each day.

Orientation and training to start the following week in anticipation of opening in October.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Looking for a job at the Mall at University Town Center? Brio Tuscan Grille is one of more than 100 retail and restaurant brands looking to hire part time and full time workers for their new locations at the new mall. Mall operator Taubman Centers estimates that the $315 million luxury center will employ 2,000 people.

Brio Tuscan Grille is operating a temporary hiring center at Keiser University in Lakewood Ranch.

To learn more about job openings at the new mall, click here. To learn more about how the mall will be a hiring boon for the region’s retail sector, click here.

To see a full list of retailers coming to the Mall at University Town Center, click here.

The Herald-Tribune reported reported stores like Apple, Anthropologie, Crate & Barrel and others will open in the Mall at University Town Center last year. The 880,000-square-foot retail center will open October 16.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Brio Tuscan Grille, one of several new chain restaurant concepts coming to the Mall at University Town Center, will hire up to 130 positions to staff the eatery, which is set to open on Oct. 16.

Applicants interested in open assistant manager, chef, prep and line cook, wait staff, dishwashing, bartending and host positions can apply starting Aug. 25. Brio Tuscan Grille will open a hiring center at the Keiser University campus at 6151 Lake Osprey Dr., in Sarasota.

Interested applicants can fill out an application online here or at the hiring site.

For more job opportunities at the Mall at University Town Center, click here.

Brio Tuscan Grille will have indoor seating for 183 guests, which includes a private dining space with seating for 54, and outdoor patio dining for 133 guests.

To see a full list of retailers and restaurants coming to the Mall at University Town Center, click here.

The Herald-Tribune reported reported stores like Apple, Anthropologie, Crate & Barrel and others will open in the Mall at University Town Center last year. The 880,000-square-foot retail center will open October 16.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Macy’s is hiring for all sales and support positions at its new store in the Mall at University Town Center, which opens Oct. 16.

The two-level, 160,000-square-foot department store that will anchor the mall will need about 175 associates to run the store. Macy’s employment center opened July 26 at 8201 S. Tamiami Trail, for scheduling interviews and training. One employment kiosk is available, but applicants are encouraged to apply online here. All qualified applicants will be emailed to schedule an interview.

The employment center is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more job opportunities at the Mall at University Town Center, click here.

Last month, Macy’s announced it will close its Desoto Square Mall department store. The Bradenton mall Macy’s store employed 127 people, who will be considered for positions at the new mall. The Desoto Square Mall location will likely close next month.

To see a full list of retailers coming to the Mall at University Town Center, click here.

Macy’s operates 13 department stores in the Tampa Bay area, including in Westfield Group’s Sarasota Square Mall and Southgate Mall. Both Sarasota stores will remain open for the time being.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Panera Bread, which will open a new restaurant across Cattlemen Road from the mall, is hiring too. The company will host a second job fair Sept. 12 &13. Applicants can apply online or attend the fair at the new store.

Macy’s opened a employment center in Sarasota on July 26. The two-story department store that will anchor the mall will employ 175 people at the new mall. To learn how to apply, click here.

Brio Tuscan Grille, one of several new chain restaurant concepts coming to the Mall at University Town Center, will hire up to 130 positions to staff the eatery. To learn how to apply,click here.

To see a full list of retailers coming to the Mall at University Town Center, click here.

The Herald-Tribune reported reported stores like Apple, Anthropologie, Crate & Barrel and others will open in the Mall at University Town Center last year. The 880,000-square-foot retail center will open October 16.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Walmart is looking to hire 95 people in the Sarasota area to work at the new Walmart Neighborhood Market, which is slated to open at Beneva and Bee Ridge roads this fall.

Full-time and part-time work options are available. Interested applicants can visit Walmart’s temporary hiring center at 4013 Clark Road in Sarasota. Applications are accepted Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. Or apply online here.

“I began as an hourly associate and worked my way up with Walmart,” said store manager, Eric Fenton. “I look forward to meeting other potential associates who are looking for great opportunities with a great company.”

Work will begin in September before the store opens to the public.

Construction began this spring in the wake of the Rivers Edge Community Church’s recent sale of its four-acre site, for $4.6 million, to a trust for developer Jebco Ventures Inc.

The Walmart site is just west of Village Plaza, where Publix Super Markets opened a refurbished grocery store more than two years ago.

This will be the retailer’s second local Neighborhood Market store, following the September 2012 opening of the first on north U.S. 41, on the site of a former Winn-Dixie supermarket.

Photo by Justine Griffin

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.